The Economic Benefits of Conservation Development

A conservation development allows for flexible lot sizes and creative site/design so the same amount of development allowed by existing zoning is condensed approximately 50 percent. The resulting open space is permanently protected and allows for conservation/restoration of riparian and floodplain areas, high quality woodland and meadow, cultural resources, and occasionally farmland.

Lots in conservation developments sell at the same or greater value than lots in a conventional development of comparable density. Lots in conservation developments in Rhode Island were worth an additional 12 percent to 16 percent over lots in conventional developments.

Infrastructure costs are often reduced in conservation developments because road and utility length are reduced due to smaller lot sizes and condensed development on a smaller portion of the site. If the open space allows the room for low impact approaches to storm water management, storm water facility costs can be reduced as well. By extension, reduced infrastructure facilities mean lower cost for maintenance per residential unit.

Much of a developer’s cost is incurred with up-front financing, which is paid back as lots are sold. Conservation development projects have been found to have faster absorption than comparable conventional developments, resulting in lower "soft costs" for the developer. Some of this is due to the fact that there is not yet adequate conservation development-based housing to meet the potential market.

Lots in conservation developments in South Kingston, R.I., cost $7,400 each less to produce than conventional lots because of reduced infrastructure costs. An informal study of a subdivision in Bainbridge found that a combination of reduced development cost and increased absorption led to a 28 percent residual profit premium for the conservation development vs. conventional development.

A study in Portland, Ore., showed that for every 1,000 feet increase in proximity to wetlands, land prices increased by $436. Proximity to streams increased value by $259, and to lakes by $1,644.

Conservation developments often make possible the preservation of blocks of woodland and the restoration of new woodland. Multiple studies have shown that trees have a positive economic impact because they perform valuable services in temperature reduction, pollutant removal, energy use and dust reduction, reduced runoff and facilitating better stream flow.

Finally, multiple studies show that open space and resource protection yield benefits in recreation, tourism, and attracting and keeping businesses, residents, and workers. Conservation development could likely contribute to the overall quality of life in a community striving to meet such goals, via increased property values, conservation of resources, and aesthetic values.

Adapted from Lake Erie Shore
      Lines, 9/07, Kirby Date
k.date@urban.csuohio.edu

Recycling & New Outlook

Las Vegas leans heavily on a capture, collect, treat and redistribute system, offering incentives to consumers and companies. Firms can earn rebates up to a lifetime limit of $150,000 per property. It’s a success story that other cities can learn from: In five years, water use in Las Vegas fell by 18 billion gallons as population surged.

Some businesses will add roofs that can catch rainwater, get rid of fountains, replace thirsty lawns with less-demanding plants or install faucets that shut off automatically after a set time. Purchases of appliances that use less water, better washing machines, air conditioners, toilets, etc., will spike.

Kiplinger 6/07

Water & Global Warming

We in NE Ohio tend to assume that when we turn on the faucet, there will always be potable water. Yet the water levels of the Great Lakes are dropping; other areas have less and are looking at the Great Lakes as a resource.
Wells are being drilled around the clock in California’s central valley, one of the most productive food-growing areas in the
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world. The drilling must burrow deeper and deeper to tap into the sinking water table.
People in the western states are not the only ones starting to panic. According to the World Health Organization, over one billion people across the globe presently lack access to potable water. As the planet continues to heat up, it’s expected that more people around the world will be without dependable supplies of water for drinking and irrigation.

Will we see "climate refugees" as mass migrations of people try to relocate from drought-stricken areas? According to Columbia University’s Richard Seager, drought will prompt dislocations similar to those of the Great Dust Bowl in the 1930s. The potential for conflict is great. Some regions may become more crowded and resources could dwindle.

According to the United Nations, water scarcity is behind the bloody wars in Sudan’s Darfur region.

Adapted from an article by Laurel Hopwood
Sierra Club News 3/08